Apparatus for drying and coating molds.



Patented Uct. I, I90l.

W. J. PATTERSUN &. A. WICKLAND.

APPARATUS FUR DBYING AND ATlNG HOLDS.

(Appluation led Sept. 8, 1899.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. PATTERSON AND A'LOYSIUS WICKLANMD, OF PITTSBURG, PENN-SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE AMERICAN CASTINGMACHINE CO., OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR DRYING AND COATING MOLDS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,487, dated October1, 1901.

Original application iiledI'ehruary 24, 1899, Serial No. r`706,'7{:-(4l.Divided and this application filed September 8, 1899. Serial V No.729,810. (No model.)

Be it known that we, WILLIAM J. PATTER- soN and ALoYsIUs WICKLAND,residents of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatusfor Drying and Coating Molds; and We do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

1e Our` invention relates to apparatus for drying and coating theinteriors of molds in metal- 'casting apparatus, Where a number of moldsare mounted on a traveling carrier, the molds being poured at one end ofthe apparatus and I5 discharged at the opposite end, such as set forthand described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 583,424,granted to A. M. Acklin May 25, 1897. In said Letters Patent there isset forth and claimed a method 2o of casting pig metal consisting inpouring the metal into molds partially submerged in Water, passing saidmolds in a horizontal course through said Water in thepartiallysubmerged state, and then passing said molds z 5 in ahorizontal course through said Water in a completely-submerged state.The molds are mounted on an endless carrier or chain, and afterthey havedischarged their contents they pass down and return to point of pour- 3oing in an inverted position. These molds after the pigs have beendischarged are in a wetted condition, owing to their passage through thetank or the spraying of the molds after leaving the tank, and thereforewhen formed of thin Wrought metal the Wrought iron or steel molds remainWet or damp in their course back to the receiving end of the machine tobe again filled with pig metal, and if the highly-molten pig metalstrikes the molds when Wet the metal is liable to sputter, wasting thesame, While the metal may strike some of the workmen and burn them. Thethin Wrought-metal molds did not carry sufficient heat to dry the moldsin their return course. In such form of casting apparatus more or lesstrouble has been experienced by reason of the pigs adhering and stickingto the molds when solidified, and

various attempts have been made to avoid 5o this difiiculty, but withunsatisfactory results.

Devices for spraying the molds with Water and mixtures of differentrefractory materials have been employed in various forms to insure thefree delivery of the pigs from the molds, and coatings of lime, clay, orsimilar 5 5 refractory materials have been used for this purpose, and amechanical device for imparting a blow to the molds or pigs just priorto their discharge has also been contrived. These methods of treatmentare all more or 6o less objectionable, as they do not always Worksatisfactorily. The use of clay is particularly objectionable on pigswhich are to be used in the basic open-hearth process or to be melted ina cupola prior to the Bessemer process, and the use of lime is also tobe avoided on pigs which are to be used in the acid process, all ofwhich Will be readily understood by those skilled in the art of makingsteel. Further than this, the use of Washes made of lime, 7o clay, orother ordinary refractory materials has the eect of materiallyshortening the life of the molds, and is particularly severe in itsaction upon the bearing and wearing portions of an endless-carriermachine, as these mineral refractories have the eiiect'of abrading theworking parts of the apparatus very rapidly. Y

We practically overcome the above objections by applying a fresh coatingof carbona- 8o ceous material to the molds just prior to theintroduction therein of the molten metal, and in addition to preservingthe Working faces of the molds from destruction by the molten metal andallowing the pigs to be readily discharged therefrom we find that thismaterial is free from all of the above-stated objections, and from itsnature, instead of abrading the Working parts of the machine, it acts asa lubricator, thus preventing friction and loss of 9o power, and therebypreserves the Working surfaces from destruction. This carbonaceouscoating is also free from the objections heretofore stated with respectto the use of clay or lime on pigs which are to be used forsteel-making, as the carbonaceous matter is comparatively neutral andhas no effect upon the lining of the furnaces or cupolas, nor does itaffect the slag which is formed in the melting or refining process. Itis found expedient 10o in such form of casting apparatus to have themolds formed with lips which overlap each other, so that when the metalis poured said overlapping lips will prevent the metal from falling inbetween the molds. The metal is liable to adhere to the molds, andespecially if it drops on these lips it is liable to adhere thereto, sothat this metal which has fallen on said lips will form a fin-likeportion on the pig, which will be broken off when the pig is dischargedinto the receptacle at the discharge end of the apparatus, or if aportion still adheres it will be worn off or broken up in the handlingof the pig afterward. This metal is wasted and is a matter of greatloss.

In an application for patent filed by us February 24, 1899, SerialNo.706,730, of which this application is a division, a method isprovided for drying the molds and coating them to prevent adherence ofthe metal to the bodies or overlapping lips, said method consisting,generally stated, in pouring the metal in a controllable stream intosuch endless connected series of traveling molds and moving the wholecontinuously at such speed that they will be uniformly filled andcooling the metal cast within the molds, preferably by water-cooling,and automatically delivering the pigs therefrom and then carrying theinverted molds over fuel-burning apparatus, so as to-thoroughly dry themolds in their course back to the receiving end and prevent the iiyingof the metal above referred to, and at the same time to form a depositof soot upon the faces of the molds as they return to be lled with themolten metal, the thin lm of soot forming a surfacing which will preventthe metal from adhering to either the bodies or the lips of the molds.The present invention relates principally to certain improvements in theapparatus employed in practicing such method, which will be hereinaftermore fully set forth and claimed.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention weWill describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of asuitable casting apparatus to which our invention is applicable. Fig. 2is a cross-section of same on line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an enlargedview of a portion of the traveling mold-carrier. Fig. 4. is across-section of the tank.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each View.

While we have above referred to our invention as applicable to themethodof casting pig-metal contained in said Patent No. 583,424, and willdescribe it in connection with said method in the present application,yet We do not Wish to limit its application in any sense to the methodof casting set forth in said patent.

In the drawings, Fig. l illustrates a portion of a suitablemetal-casting apparatus, in which the letter a designates the frame orthe portion thereof adjacent to the pouring end of the apparatus. Thetank b is supported by the frame a, and Within said tank is the track c,upon which the Wheels d of the endless chain e travel. The trackf is thereturntrack supported by the frame @,and the Wheels d travel on saidtrack when the molds return in their inverted position to thepouring-point.

The endless chain or mold-carrier e may be of any suitable construction,and as it forms no part of our present invention a detailed descriptionis not deemed necessary. The molds g are secured to the endless chain e,said molds having the overlapping-lips g', which prevent the spilling ofthe metal in pouring between the molds and at the same time allow forthe elongation of the endless chain, due to Wear, without creating a gapbetween the molds. The chain c is mounted on suitable sprocketwheelsarranged at each end of the frame, the sprockets at the pouring end onlybeing shown.

The tracks h may be used to carry the ladle conveying the molten metalfrom the blastfurnace, while t' represents the pouringtrough.

Beneath the frame a are the pits 7c, with tracks m arranged transverselyof the frame a. Upon these tracks are the trucks n, supporting thefuel-burning apparatus, such as the pots or furnaces o of any suitableconstruction. rlhese furnaces o are arranged at suitable intervalsapart, and any number required for the purpose of our invention may beemployed. The lire-chamber 0` is provided with the grate-bars o2, and o3is the door for the admission of fuel. The furnaces 0, when in theposition shown in Fig. 2, are directly under the frame a, and the moldsg in their inverted position travel directly over said furnaces, so asto be heated and dried thereby and receive the coating of soot from thesmoke rising from the furnaces. In order to direct the products ofcombustion into the molds, the conical hood p is provided.

Any suitable furnaces or burners may be use, and we do not wish to limitourselves in any manner to the particular form of apparatus for burningthe fuel beneath the molds. Where the furnace is such as illustrated andemploys solid fuel, when the apparatus is not in operation the furnacemay be run to one side of the frame on the tracks m, so that undueheating of the molds when at a standstill is avoided.

In the use of the apparatus the metal is .pouredinto the molds as theypass under the Vpouring-ladle. The molds are then cooledsuch as by beingcarried through the cooling liquid of the tank (not shown)-and when theyarrive at the opposite end of the frame the pigs are discharged fromsaid molds. The molds then return in an inverted position, as shown inFig. 1. The molds which have previously passed through the water of thetank or been Wet in other Ways in connection with the cooling of themetal therein are thor- IOO IIO

Azo

oughly dried as they pass over the tops of the furnaces o, the heat fromthe same being directed into the inverted molds and quickly drying them,so that all liability of the metal being poured into wet molds isovercome. For the purpose of smoking the molds any suitablesmoke-producing fuel can be used which will form a sooty greasy coatingon the surface of the molds, and the fact that the molds arecomparatively moist or damp when brought above the furnaces causes thesoot to more easily deposit thereon and to adhere more firmly to thelips and interiors of the molds. Forthis purpose bituminous coal may beemployed and only enough air admitted to the furnaces to support a slowcombustion, from which a heavy smoke discharge is obtained. Where oil orother gaseous or liquid fuel is used,the conditions are such as to causeimperfect combustion, generating smoke, While obtaining su ii'icientheat for the drying of the molds. Any carbonaceous fuel which, whenimperfectly consumed, will deposit the soot on the molds may,of course,be employed.

In pouring the metal, as stated above, it is liable to drop on theoverlapping lips g and adhere thereto, so that when the molds arrive atthe point of discharge this thin portion is broken off by the fall ofthe pigs into the receptacle placed there to receive them or in thelater handling of the pigs and is lost. The coating of the molds withsoot, as above set forth, forms a smooth or greasy surface both in theinteriors or bodies of the molds and upon these lips, and the metal,instead of adhering to the lips, slips back into the molds, so that nofins are formed. The coating further acts to protect the molds when themetal is poured.

W'hat We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. In a metal-castin g apparatus, the combination with a suitable frame,of an endless connected series of traveling metal-molds,.

means for filling said molds successively, means for subjecting themolds and their contents to the action of water for cooling suchcontents, and drying apparatus located beneath the said molds in theirreturn course to the receiving end of the apparatus, whereby the emptymolds are successively dried in passing to their receiving position.

2. In a metal-casting apparatus, the combination with a suitable frame,of an endless, connected series of traveling metal-molds, means forfilling the molds, means for subjecting the molds and their contents toWater for cooling such contents, and smoke-discharging apparatus locatedbeneath said molds in their return path to the receiving end of theapparatus and adapted to dry the molds and to deposit a coating of sootthereon, substantially as described.

3. In metal-casting apparatus, the combination with a suitable frame, ofan endless, connected series of traveling metal-molds, said molds havingoverlapping lips, means for filling the molds, means for subjecting themolds and their contents to Water for cooling such contents, andsmoke-discharging apparatus located beneath said molds in their returncourse to the receiving end of the apparatus and adapted to dry themolds and to deposit a coating of soot on the lips of said molds,substantially as set forth.

4. In metal-casting apparatus, the combination with a suitable frame, ofan endless connected series of traveling metal-molds passing around thesame, and fuel-burning apparatus beneath said molds in their returncourse to the receiving end of the apparatus, and having a iiueextending up to said molds, said molds in their inverted position actingto substantially close said flue, substantially as set forth.

5. In metal-casting apparatus, the combination with a suitable frame, ofan endless connected series of traveling metal-molds passing around thesame, a tank containing liquid through which said molds pass whencontaining the metal, and fuel-burning apparatus beneath said molds intheir return course to the receiving end of the apparatus', and having a:due extending up to said molds, said molds in their inverted positionacting to substantially close said flue, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with one or more molds, of a furnace located beneaththe same and suitable deflectors to direct the products of combustioninto the molds aforesaid whereby the earbonaceous products of saidfurnace are disposed against the interior walls of said molds.

In testimony whereof we, the said WILLIAM J. PATTERSON and ALoYsrUsWIoKLAND,have hereunto set our hands.

WILLIAM J. PATTERSON. ALOYSIUS WICKLAND. Witnesses:

JAMES I. KAY, ROBERT C. Tor'rEN.

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